A Closter New Jersey resident and former NBA draft pick has been identified as the man reported missing and then found dead in Brooklyn, New York.

Michael Wright, a 35-year-old male from Closter NJ, was reported missing by a family friend. The victim had reportedly been missing for four days.

Closter police searched for the victim but could not find him. The Closter Police Department entered the victim as a missing person nationwide.

New York City police eventually found Wright in the back of his Lexus SUV, which was parked on East 16th Street in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, NY. The victim’s body was concealed under garbage bags. According to NYPD officials, the victim was unresponsive when police found him. He had sustained a wound to the back of his head.

Authorities believe that the death is a homicide.

At this time, authorities have not yet identified a suspect in the killing.

Wright was born in Chicago, Illinois and later played college hoops at the University of Arizona. Although the star college player was drafted by the New York Knicks in 2001, he never ended up playing a game in the NBA. Wright spent his career playing for teams in Europe.

If a suspect is eventually linked to the murder, they would face significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, murder is a first degree felony that carries a potential life sentence in New Jersey State Prison.

For additional information about this case, check out the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Found Dead ID’ed as Former Knicks Draft Pick, Report Says.”